WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.640 I just have to say, I love seeing God's people just use their gifts and serve one another 00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:14.320 and being led in worship by you. 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:19.600 And I'm just, I'm sitting here, we're singing a refrain that Michael composed during the 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:20.000 psalm. 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:25.780 And then, and then Kyla Snow, my goodness, Nehemiah 10, praise God, that was amazing. 00:00:25.780 --> 00:00:30.800 Whenever there's a reading like that that comes up in our lectionary, we have to give 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:31.480 it to the professionals. 00:00:31.880 --> 00:00:32.880 You should not let me. 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:33.859 Yeah. 00:00:34.120 --> 00:00:35.760 Kyla, man, you rocked it. 00:00:35.859 --> 00:00:36.579 That was amazing. 00:00:38.260 --> 00:00:40.859 What is going on in Nehemiah 10? 00:00:40.939 --> 00:00:42.420 Nehemiah loves his lists. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:45.820 He loves his, he's a very detail-oriented person. 00:00:46.460 --> 00:00:47.659 And some of us are like that. 00:00:47.700 --> 00:00:49.840 But what's going on in this chapter? 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:56.800 Imagine if you had the responsibility to rebuild society from the ground up. 00:00:56.860 --> 00:00:59.859 Imagine the slate is wiped clean, no founding documents. 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:01.580 How would you start? 00:01:03.480 --> 00:01:04.719 Where would you begin? 00:01:04.859 --> 00:01:09.359 I mean, how would you build a society where everyone can live in relative peace and freedom? 00:01:10.500 --> 00:01:15.140 How would you build a society where everyone has what they need in order to flourish? 00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:23.939 What kind of founding documents would you create to sustain not only your generation but future 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:24.480 generations? 00:01:25.319 --> 00:01:30.239 In the book of Nehemiah, where we are now, God's people are doing that very thing. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:32.219 They've returned from exile. 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:35.420 They have successfully rebuilt at least the wall of the city. 00:01:36.260 --> 00:01:39.200 And now they have to rebuild their society. 00:01:40.460 --> 00:01:42.859 They have to figure out how to do life together. 00:01:42.859 --> 00:01:48.280 And so they spend days reading and studying God's word. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.379 We heard Jeff preach an excellent sermon on that last week. 00:01:52.140 --> 00:01:56.140 And as they do this, they begin to learn the history of their own ancestors, 00:01:56.299 --> 00:01:59.140 which at this point they may not have even known very well. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.840 They're looking at the history of their forefathers, the people of Israel. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:07.439 And they begin to realize some things as they learn this history. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:13.060 They realize that there are certain times in Israel's history where they were flourishing 00:02:13.060 --> 00:02:14.479 and things were going well. 00:02:14.579 --> 00:02:15.819 They lived in relative peace. 00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:20.359 And then there are other times when they are withering on the vine. 00:02:20.579 --> 00:02:24.079 They're collapsing into faithlessness and into spiritual decay. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:30.640 And they realize that the times of flourishing are marked by certain characteristics. 00:02:30.940 --> 00:02:36.420 During those times, God's people were living lives that were marked by certain characteristics 00:02:36.420 --> 00:02:41.880 that seemed to contribute to the flourishing of society as a whole. 00:02:42.200 --> 00:02:45.939 And so all of the leaders of all of the families get together, 00:02:45.939 --> 00:02:51.680 and they decide to dedicate themselves to living lives marked by these characteristics 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:53.900 that lead to flourishing. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:57.840 So that's what we're going to look at this morning in Nehemiah chapter 10, 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:05.180 four things, four characteristics that lead to spiritual flourishing, 00:03:05.259 --> 00:03:09.379 that lead to flourishing not only of individuals but of societies as a whole. 00:03:09.379 --> 00:03:14.379 Now, some of these things don't translate directly because this is 2,400 years ago. 00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:18.079 So we're going to be asking, what does this look like in our context? 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.519 What would these things look like applied to us today? 00:03:21.900 --> 00:03:24.799 Now, obviously, we're not in a position to rebuild society. 00:03:24.979 --> 00:03:26.199 I mean, maybe some of you are. 00:03:26.460 --> 00:03:29.319 Most of us are certainly not in that position. 00:03:30.419 --> 00:03:33.319 But we're all responsible for building our own lives. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:35.639 Right? 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:38.939 We're all responsible for deciding what kind of life we want to live. 00:03:40.199 --> 00:03:42.719 And if we want to live with any degree of intentionality, 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:44.620 that requires forethought. 00:03:44.780 --> 00:03:45.500 It requires vision. 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:48.039 It requires charting a course for yourself. 00:03:48.699 --> 00:03:50.780 Some of us are responsible for building families. 00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:52.900 So how do we do that? 00:03:52.939 --> 00:03:54.079 What's our vision for our family? 00:03:54.180 --> 00:03:57.199 Some of us are responsible for leading institutions, organizations. 00:03:57.500 --> 00:03:59.219 What kind of culture are we building there? 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:01.979 So that's what we're going to look at, four characteristics. 00:04:01.979 --> 00:04:04.520 This is by no means an exhaustive list, 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:07.120 but it is kind of a roadmap to flourishing. 00:04:07.300 --> 00:04:08.800 And while it's not an exhaustive list, 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:12.620 I would suggest that each of these things belongs on everybody's list. 00:04:13.380 --> 00:04:15.960 So let's pray, and then we're going to open God's word together. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:19.020 Lord, we thank you for your word, 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:23.600 and we thank you that it's always enlivened by your Holy Spirit. 00:04:23.720 --> 00:04:26.939 When we open your word, this is a way that you speak to us. 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:29.560 And we need to hear your word this morning. 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:30.680 We need to hear your voice. 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:33.080 And so we pray that that would happen, Lord, 00:04:33.080 --> 00:04:34.100 that you would open our hearts, 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:37.580 that we hear what you have to say to us this morning, 00:04:38.420 --> 00:04:39.640 wherever we find ourselves. 00:04:40.260 --> 00:04:42.680 We pray that we would be brought to life by your word. 00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:44.439 And we pray that through your written word, 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:46.320 we would encounter your living word, Jesus Christ. 00:04:46.939 --> 00:04:48.260 And it's in his name that we pray. 00:04:48.640 --> 00:04:48.879 Amen. 00:04:51.020 --> 00:04:55.260 So here are the characteristics that we want to focus on this morning. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:56.260 The first is this. 00:04:56.660 --> 00:04:58.000 As we look at what they're doing here, 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:02.560 we need to have a willingness in our own lives 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:04.620 to have a public faith, 00:05:05.459 --> 00:05:10.019 to be public and open about our faith. 00:05:10.180 --> 00:05:12.339 All of the people here in this chapter, 00:05:12.740 --> 00:05:16.500 including the most prominent and influential leaders in the community, 00:05:17.139 --> 00:05:19.100 publicly commit themselves to God. 00:05:19.220 --> 00:05:21.000 They write out a covenant, 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:24.040 and then they all sign their names to it 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:27.279 so that everybody knows that they've made this commitment. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:29.180 Now, why would that kind of thing matter? 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:30.699 A couple of reasons. 00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:34.939 First of all, God's people are called to be a missionary people. 00:05:36.459 --> 00:05:39.139 We're called to put God's heart on display. 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:45.000 Jerusalem is meant to be a city that puts the heart of God on display. 00:05:45.219 --> 00:05:48.300 It's meant to be the place that all of the nations look at 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:52.120 and come and inquire about the God of that city. 00:05:53.060 --> 00:05:55.480 And it's hard to be a missionary people 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:58.120 if people don't even know that we are Christians. 00:05:58.120 --> 00:05:59.819 That's the first thing. 00:05:59.879 --> 00:06:02.240 The second thing is equally important, and that is this. 00:06:02.540 --> 00:06:04.600 As they read the history of Israel, 00:06:04.740 --> 00:06:06.280 they begin to see another pattern. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:09.920 Whenever God's people are devoted to worshiping Him 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:11.980 and prioritizing Him above everything else, 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:14.019 they tend to live in relative freedom. 00:06:14.840 --> 00:06:17.300 But whenever they start worshiping idols, 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:19.740 in other words, 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.100 whenever they start worshiping anything other than God, 00:06:22.699 --> 00:06:26.139 they become ensnared by those idols. 00:06:26.139 --> 00:06:27.959 That's the word that is used very often. 00:06:28.459 --> 00:06:29.539 They're ensnared. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:31.959 They're held captive by those idols. 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:34.539 And that's how idolatry works. 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:36.079 Whatever it is that we live for, 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:38.319 whatever we can't imagine living without, 00:06:39.180 --> 00:06:40.599 chances are that's an idol. 00:06:40.899 --> 00:06:42.779 And almost anything can become an idol. 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:47.319 It's often good things like comfort or safety or success or approval, 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:49.959 but they just become more and more important 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:52.560 until they become things that we can't imagine living without. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:55.459 And they see this pattern, 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:59.759 and they realize that whenever God's people allow things to become that important, 00:06:59.899 --> 00:07:01.019 more important than God, 00:07:01.259 --> 00:07:03.160 those things end up controlling them 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:06.379 and defining them and ensnaring them. 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:08.819 Now, for us as Christians, 00:07:08.980 --> 00:07:11.199 we believe that Jesus came to set us free. 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:13.360 When we put our faith in Jesus, 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:18.560 when we ask forgiveness on the basis of His sacrifice for us, 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:22.639 we are set free from the penalty of sin. 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:27.980 We're set free from the consequences of that in our lives eternally. 00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:31.439 But idols still have power in our lives. 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:36.279 They still exert tremendous power over our souls, over our hearts. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:39.220 So when we become Christians by faith, 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:41.660 we gain the capacity for spiritual freedom, 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:42.980 but it's not automatic. 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:43.700 It's not automatic. 00:07:44.460 --> 00:07:45.740 It's not automatic. 00:07:46.100 --> 00:07:49.100 If we want to be truly and really spiritually free, 00:07:49.200 --> 00:07:50.840 where we actually experience it, 00:07:51.200 --> 00:07:56.000 that actually requires a very high degree of intentionality and commitment. 00:07:57.280 --> 00:08:02.340 There are many people who have considered themselves Christians for a long time, 00:08:03.060 --> 00:08:06.020 but there has been little to no change in their lives. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:09.879 You know, some of us, maybe we've been Christians since we were young children, 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:12.180 but it's never really changed us. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.839 It's never really impacted us, how we live. 00:08:15.060 --> 00:08:18.319 And one of the reasons for that is that even though a lot of people claim to be Christian, 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:22.759 for some of those people, their faith remains compartmentalized, 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:24.540 and it remains private. 00:08:25.339 --> 00:08:27.319 It's a small part of their life. 00:08:28.139 --> 00:08:31.779 It's a mode that they enter into some of the time. 00:08:31.779 --> 00:08:39.299 But they easily shift out of that mode when it makes life easier. 00:08:40.319 --> 00:08:45.759 And the point that we see here is that in order for us to experience any degree of real spiritual freedom 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.220 and growth and change, we have to be all in. 00:08:49.779 --> 00:08:51.839 We have to own our faith. 00:08:52.699 --> 00:08:57.019 And it's almost impossible to own your faith and to be all in on your faith 00:08:57.019 --> 00:08:59.699 if you compartmentalize it and you keep it private. 00:08:59.700 --> 00:09:05.900 If there are large swaths of people in your life who have no idea where you are spiritually. 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:07.960 Right? 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:11.620 If we live like that, it is so easy for us to remain noncommittal, 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:13.580 to remain fair-weather Christians, 00:09:14.040 --> 00:09:19.080 to sort of claim Christianity while in reality serving idols. 00:09:20.860 --> 00:09:24.280 It's one of the reasons why in our church and in churches like ours, 00:09:24.340 --> 00:09:27.000 we encourage people to go through something called confirmation. 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:27.120 Confirmation. 00:09:27.779 --> 00:09:32.639 Because one of the things that we do in confirmation is we publicly confess our faith. 00:09:32.759 --> 00:09:34.200 We stand up in front of the community. 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:37.279 And we say, I believe this. 00:09:37.860 --> 00:09:42.759 And then we have that faith recognized and affirmed by the church community. 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:46.899 And the point is, the more we're willing to be open about our faith, 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:50.559 the more it kind of creates a healthy accountability that we need. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:57.739 It makes it a lot harder to compartmentalize and compromise in our faith 00:09:57.739 --> 00:10:01.979 when everybody in our lives knows what we believe. 00:10:03.079 --> 00:10:07.239 Because we naturally want to live lives that are consistent with what we say we believe. 00:10:07.319 --> 00:10:10.719 And if we have everybody around us who they know what we claim to believe, 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:13.419 it's going to be a lot harder for us to compromise. 00:10:14.500 --> 00:10:17.599 You see a very similar dynamic in the addiction recovery world. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:21.240 Some of you have come out of addiction recovery, and you know what I'm talking about. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:26.759 In the culture of groups like AA, people are strongly encouraged to be rigorously open 00:10:26.759 --> 00:10:29.180 and honest about their struggle with addiction. 00:10:30.139 --> 00:10:35.480 You know, a dear friend of mine has been a slave to alcohol for over 20 years. 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:39.080 For the last year and a half, he has gotten sober. 00:10:39.680 --> 00:10:42.379 And he is very involved in AA. 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:44.320 And he's working the steps. 00:10:45.019 --> 00:10:46.060 Some of you know what that means. 00:10:46.059 --> 00:10:51.439 And I would say the single defining characteristic, at least from my experience, 00:10:51.579 --> 00:10:53.679 in what I have seen change in this man, 00:10:54.299 --> 00:10:58.719 is that he is rigorously honest about his journey out of addiction. 00:10:59.219 --> 00:11:01.819 Everybody he meets, it's one of the first things he tells them. 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:03.339 I'm a recovering alcoholic. 00:11:04.619 --> 00:11:06.559 And he's rigorously honest. 00:11:06.779 --> 00:11:11.179 And a big part of the reason for that is because he knows how tempting it is 00:11:11.179 --> 00:11:16.839 to slip back into denial, to slip back into compartmentalizing that part of his life, 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:18.359 into minimizing it. 00:11:19.439 --> 00:11:23.179 And he knows how easily addiction thrives in secrecy. 00:11:24.059 --> 00:11:29.299 And so he's constantly talking about it to people and being open about it to keep it in the light. 00:11:29.299 --> 00:11:29.740 Right? 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:37.000 Now, you may not struggle with alcohol addiction, but the Bible says we all have spiritual addictions. 00:11:38.599 --> 00:11:40.099 That's what idolatry is. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.819 We're all recovering spiritual addicts, idol addicts. 00:11:45.299 --> 00:11:48.299 And so when we're honest about our commitment to find freedom in Jesus, 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:50.679 it makes it a lot harder for us to slip back in denial. 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:58.719 So the first characteristic that I would put forward to you is to be willing to have a public faith, 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:03.159 to be open and honest with everyone in your life about what you believe. 00:12:05.139 --> 00:12:11.639 The number two thing we see here, characteristic that leads to flourishing for individuals and societies, 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:17.240 is to put God first in your marriage. 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:25.879 to have a marriage and a family centered on the worship and obedience to the Lord God. 00:12:26.379 --> 00:12:27.159 Verse 30 says, 00:12:27.259 --> 00:12:32.940 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 00:12:33.379 --> 00:12:35.639 Now, this has nothing to do with interracial marriage. 00:12:36.539 --> 00:12:38.480 It's been mishandled that way. 00:12:38.539 --> 00:12:40.080 It has nothing to do with interracial marriage. 00:12:40.580 --> 00:12:42.240 It's about interfaith marriage. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:44.539 It's about interfaith marriage. 00:12:44.539 --> 00:12:51.919 As they read the story of their ancestors, another thing they realize is that every time God's people marry into people of other religions, 00:12:52.599 --> 00:12:53.659 it leads to disaster. 00:12:54.620 --> 00:12:58.480 Over and over and over again in Israel's history, the same thing happens. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:00.539 Now, why would that be? 00:13:00.699 --> 00:13:05.980 Well, because next to our commitment to God, next to your commitment to God, 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:11.259 the next most important commitment in your life is the one that you make to your spouse. 00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:15.600 If you're both committed to putting God first, 00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:20.819 if you're both committed to putting God before the marriage, before your spouse, before anything else, 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:27.740 then that relationship becomes mutually reinforcing, right? 00:13:28.439 --> 00:13:34.939 You're both able to encourage and reinforce and strengthen one another in your shared commitment to the same God. 00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:40.220 If that's not the case in your marriage, then you will always have divided loyalties. 00:13:42.060 --> 00:13:43.640 You'll have competing allegiances. 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:47.060 You'll have priorities that diverge. 00:13:47.980 --> 00:13:50.440 And that's going to impact every area of your life. 00:13:50.520 --> 00:13:55.740 It impacts the way you spend your time and the way you spend your money and the way you handle conflict and the way you raise your kids. 00:13:55.740 --> 00:14:01.659 You know, I grew up in a house as a product of an interfaith marriage. 00:14:03.340 --> 00:14:05.340 And to save time, I'll just tell you this. 00:14:05.419 --> 00:14:06.200 I wouldn't recommend it. 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:08.240 I wouldn't recommend it. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:09.860 Marriage is hard enough on its own. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:13.940 But an interfaith marriage, I would say, is next to impossible. 00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:22.180 That, you know, according to one study, you're three times more likely to end in divorce than marriages between people of the same faith. 00:14:22.179 --> 00:14:29.539 There are couples who stay together, but often they do it at the expense of their faith, right? 00:14:29.579 --> 00:14:36.779 The believer in the relationship ends up having to make serious compromises in their commitment to God in order to make the marriage work. 00:14:36.839 --> 00:14:40.620 And you're in that awful position of having to choose between God and your spouse. 00:14:42.519 --> 00:14:44.919 So this applies differently to different ones of us, right? 00:14:44.959 --> 00:14:49.120 So if you're still single, it's not worth it. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:15:01.080 I'll just tell you right now, if you're dating somebody, if you're seriously dating somebody, and that person does not share your commitment to the Lord, I would say end that relationship. 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:06.179 I remember talking to a woman one time who had been single for a long time. 00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:09.019 She ended up deciding to marry a man who was not a Christian. 00:15:09.019 --> 00:15:15.220 Not long after, she said to me in private, she said, you know, I thought I was lonely when I was single. 00:15:16.659 --> 00:15:20.579 There's nothing compared to the loneliness I feel being married to somebody who doesn't share my faith. 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:24.159 Now, some of us are in interfaith marriages. 00:15:25.379 --> 00:15:28.179 And if that is you, maybe you've experienced some of this. 00:15:30.079 --> 00:15:32.120 There's encouragement here for you. 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:33.720 Number one, God sees you. 00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:35.799 God loves you. 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:37.899 And God is always at work. 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:40.000 God is always at work. 00:15:40.340 --> 00:15:47.539 You know, both Peter and Paul in the New Testament talk about ways that God works through believing spouses in the lives of unbelieving spouses. 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:53.600 And they give hope of those unbelieving spouses coming to faith. 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:57.139 So that's something that we should always be praying for. 00:15:57.240 --> 00:15:58.159 Never stop praying. 00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:00.399 Never stop praying for that. 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:07.019 You know, Paul says, you know, God can bring that unbelieving spouse to salvation through the faith of the believer. 00:16:07.559 --> 00:16:12.980 So he says in that case, if the unbelieving spouse wants to stay in the marriage, you should stay in the marriage. 00:16:14.439 --> 00:16:16.579 You should pray for your spouse every day. 00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:22.899 You should also make sure you have a strong network of Christian friends, people who can support you in your faith. 00:16:23.439 --> 00:16:27.699 And I just want you to know, if this describes you in any way, shape, or form, we as a church, we are here for you. 00:16:27.699 --> 00:16:30.259 And if you need more support, please let us know. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:37.259 For those of us who are married to other Christians, obviously that doesn't solve all our problems. 00:16:37.259 --> 00:16:42.899 Just because you're both Christians doesn't mean you actually put God first in your marriage on a functional level. 00:16:43.899 --> 00:16:44.059 Right? 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:48.379 The best thing that you can do for your marriage is to put God before your spouse. 00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:52.399 Is to put God before your spouse. 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.399 God before your spouse. 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:56.079 To love and to respect and to serve your spouse. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:00.299 Not based on whether or not you think they deserve it in the moment. 00:17:00.299 --> 00:17:07.799 But based on the fact that Jesus deserves your love and respect and service. 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:18.680 And it makes it very clear in Scripture that when we love and support and give ourselves to building up our spouse, that we're really and truly serving and honoring Jesus. 00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:23.099 So we should put Christ first in our marriages. 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:25.119 So they're very clear on this. 00:17:25.180 --> 00:17:26.859 They make a very solemn commitment. 00:17:26.859 --> 00:17:34.619 We're going to make sure that our love and worship of God is at the center of our marriage and family life in this new society that we're building. 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:36.119 It goes better for individuals. 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:37.259 It goes better for families. 00:17:37.479 --> 00:17:39.939 And whatever works for families is going to work for society. 00:17:40.259 --> 00:17:41.839 It results in a stronger society. 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:43.959 Number three. 00:17:46.959 --> 00:17:48.919 Internalize the values of the Sabbath. 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:53.000 Internalize the values of the Sabbath. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:53.720 Verse 31. 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:59.940 They commit themselves to living out the principles and regulations of the Sabbath. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:04.259 In order to understand this, you have to understand something about the Sabbath. 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:06.039 The Sabbath is not just about taking a day off. 00:18:07.619 --> 00:18:10.200 The Sabbath represents an entire way of life. 00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:15.819 It's an entire vision for how human beings live and how society functions. 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:21.119 In practice, some of this is going to look different today than it did 2,400 years ago. 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:26.940 But the same values would still apply to us in the same way. 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.779 Because these values reflect the heart of God for his people. 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:31.420 So what are these values? 00:18:31.619 --> 00:18:32.420 Well, here's some of them. 00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:34.740 Sabbath value number one. 00:18:35.019 --> 00:18:39.000 Living within a rhythm of work and rest. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:42.200 Now that's the one that most of us would hopefully be familiar with. 00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:45.240 God created us to work. 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:50.420 So part of what it means to be human according to how God created us is to work. 00:18:51.380 --> 00:18:53.200 It doesn't have to be a paying job or career. 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:57.960 But productivity, creativity, making something out of what God has made. 00:18:58.460 --> 00:19:00.400 That is a good and beautiful thing. 00:19:00.460 --> 00:19:01.539 It's part of what it means to be human. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:03.359 But he didn't create us to work all the time. 00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:05.640 And that's the difference. 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:08.599 We also need rest and renewal. 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:16.139 So one day a week, turn off the devices, close the laptop, put your away message up on email, 00:19:16.399 --> 00:19:22.879 and do things that revitalize you and reconnect you to God and other people. 00:19:23.139 --> 00:19:28.359 You know, Monday is my Sabbath, and I don't keep it faithfully every week. 00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:31.279 I do a pretty decent job most of the time. 00:19:31.639 --> 00:19:34.339 But we're all works in progress. 00:19:34.339 --> 00:19:40.619 But when I'm able to keep Sabbath, I typically like to take a long walk or a hike. 00:19:40.839 --> 00:19:44.299 That's a great time for me to think and pray, work through things. 00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:45.959 I just feel more connected to God. 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:49.839 I have a much easier time praying when I'm walking than I do just kind of sitting in a room. 00:19:50.579 --> 00:19:53.519 So I walk and pray a lot of the time. 00:19:54.299 --> 00:19:57.419 I usually spend some time reading. 00:19:58.579 --> 00:20:03.720 And I love to incorporate fiction and poetry into that just to get my brain in a different mode. 00:20:04.339 --> 00:20:08.819 I often spend the afternoon and evening cooking while listening to music. 00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:10.579 I kind of go into a zone. 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:12.399 And I love doing that. 00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:14.379 I try to make something that my family likes. 00:20:16.179 --> 00:20:17.519 So it doesn't have to be a big deal. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:19.619 You don't have to have a big kind of rigorous routine. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.480 But all those things, I do them simply because they're things that result in me feeling more grounded, 00:20:24.879 --> 00:20:27.339 more connected with myself, more connected with God. 00:20:27.339 --> 00:20:28.339 Sabbath. 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:29.439 Sabbath. 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:32.240 That's the first thing, living by rhythms of work and rest. 00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:36.099 Number two, prioritizing relationships over productivity. 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:42.079 A Sabbath lifestyle prioritizes relationships over productivity. 00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:45.519 In fact, the Sabbath is a slap in the face to the idol of productivity. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:51.259 And let's face it, if you live in D.C., you probably are at least adjacent to the idol of productivity. 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:56.639 Or you feel very guilty for not worshiping the idol of productivity. 00:20:57.160 --> 00:20:58.700 You feel like you should, right? 00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:01.400 It's a slap in the face to that. 00:21:02.099 --> 00:21:05.900 The Sabbath reminds us of what is most important in life. 00:21:05.980 --> 00:21:06.579 It's relationships. 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:09.139 It's not how much we get done in a day or a week. 00:21:09.299 --> 00:21:11.700 It's not how many boxes we check off. 00:21:11.700 --> 00:21:19.420 It's okay to leave a few boxes unchecked if it means you're prioritizing another human being in your life. 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:21.660 Now, you're going to question me on that later. 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:23.360 Some of you will. 00:21:23.460 --> 00:21:25.080 Some of you were horrified that I just said that. 00:21:25.580 --> 00:21:27.100 You can leave those boxes unchecked. 00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:35.259 Another aspect of the Sabbath lifestyle that we see all through the Old Testament is a commitment to social justice. 00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:44.279 The Sabbath regulations include provisions meant to prevent things like generational poverty, debt slavery. 00:21:45.140 --> 00:21:52.879 So, a modern embrace of Sabbath values should include opposition to all forms of slavery and exploitation, 00:21:53.940 --> 00:22:01.579 fair labor practices, including regular time off and fair wages and anti-discrimination, humane working conditions. 00:22:01.579 --> 00:22:02.579 Right? 00:22:02.579 --> 00:22:07.359 A Christian should be fighting for things like debt relief and economic fairness, 00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:12.159 advocating for financial systems that don't burden people with unpayable debts 00:22:12.159 --> 00:22:15.500 and that offer opportunities for economic renewal. 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:20.059 A big part of the Sabbath was regular opportunities to sort of reset 00:22:20.059 --> 00:22:25.720 so that you didn't have people after several generations who were just buried in debt 00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:27.980 in ways they could never climb out of. 00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:34.500 It should include advocating to ensure that there's equal treatment of all people, 00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:40.740 ensuring that everyone, regardless of their status, has access to the resources they need to flourish. 00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:42.660 This is all part of a Sabbath lifestyle. 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:50.860 Fourth thing we see in the Sabbath regulations, the kind of Sabbath values, is environmental stewardship. 00:22:50.859 --> 00:22:56.919 The Sabbath regulations extended even to animals and to the land itself. 00:22:58.539 --> 00:22:59.019 Right? 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:01.000 You were supposed to let your animals rest. 00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:05.299 You were supposed to, every so often, let the land rest so that you weren't overusing it, 00:23:05.439 --> 00:23:06.859 stripping it of all of its resources. 00:23:08.099 --> 00:23:08.240 Right? 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:14.579 So, a Sabbath worldview means advocating for the humane treatment of animals in farming and industry, 00:23:14.740 --> 00:23:17.699 a commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability, 00:23:17.700 --> 00:23:22.819 recognizing that we're here in part to protect and care for the natural world that God has made. 00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:23.640 Right? 00:23:23.779 --> 00:23:27.039 So, the Sabbath is not just taking a day off. 00:23:27.600 --> 00:23:29.039 It's an entire outlook. 00:23:30.360 --> 00:23:31.960 It's an entire way of life. 00:23:32.740 --> 00:23:34.740 And this is not something we have to do. 00:23:34.819 --> 00:23:37.039 It's something that we are invited to do. 00:23:37.120 --> 00:23:38.779 It's an invitation into a way of life. 00:23:39.100 --> 00:23:43.480 Jesus made it clear the Sabbath was never meant to be a legalistic straitjacket. 00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:47.500 He says, you know, man wasn't made for Sabbath. 00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:48.940 Sabbath was made for man. 00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:49.660 What does that mean? 00:23:49.740 --> 00:23:50.599 Well, he's saying this. 00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:51.860 The Sabbath is a blessing. 00:23:53.259 --> 00:23:58.640 It's meant to be a pathway into flourishing for individuals and society as a whole. 00:24:00.360 --> 00:24:01.500 That's the third thing. 00:24:01.940 --> 00:24:03.720 Internalize the values of the Sabbath. 00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:06.440 The fourth and final characteristic we see is this. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:10.279 Prioritize involvement in a local church. 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:18.660 Verses 32 to 39, the largest chunk of text in the description of the covenant, describes their commitment to the temple. 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:21.899 And it's summarized at the end by these words. 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:24.200 We will not neglect the house of our God. 00:24:25.539 --> 00:24:30.480 Now, in Nehemiah's day, the temple was the absolute center of spiritual life. 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:33.599 You know, kingdom work was all focused on the temple. 00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:40.240 In our day, we have lots of missionaries and Christian nonprofit organizations and all of that. 00:24:40.500 --> 00:24:42.599 So it looks very, the map is very different, lots of denominations. 00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:46.599 But at the heart of it, what the temple represented for them, right? 00:24:47.199 --> 00:24:50.419 In the New Testament, Jesus says, I am the temple. 00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:53.939 You no longer need a temple because Jesus says, I am the temple. 00:24:54.299 --> 00:24:58.439 And then later, as the church is birthed, the church becomes the new temple. 00:24:58.440 --> 00:25:02.920 And Jesus says, the church is my body. 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:09.320 If you want to be in the temple, if you want to be a part of the new temple that I've established, that happens in the church. 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:18.259 The kind of life that we are describing this morning, the kind of commitments that we are describing this morning are difficult. 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:22.660 It's not easy to do the things that we've described. 00:25:23.360 --> 00:25:27.200 But I would say without the support of a local church, it's virtually impossible. 00:25:28.440 --> 00:25:29.980 It's virtually impossible. 00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:37.160 A solid, healthy local church makes it possible for us to live out the things that we've just discussed. 00:25:37.320 --> 00:25:41.580 It's going to be a place where God's Word is held up as the highest authority. 00:25:42.120 --> 00:25:47.460 Where the worship of God, the sacraments, the commitment to spiritual formation, where those things are central. 00:25:48.779 --> 00:25:51.759 It's going to be a place where your marriage is supported and strengthened. 00:25:52.980 --> 00:25:57.759 It's going to be a place that helps you raise your kids to love and to follow Jesus in their lives. 00:25:58.440 --> 00:26:05.920 It's going to ideally be a place where the values of the Sabbath, which are really things that God values, are front and center to the mission. 00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:07.960 Right? 00:26:08.080 --> 00:26:09.240 No church is perfect. 00:26:10.100 --> 00:26:11.759 But hey, no offense, neither are you. 00:26:12.460 --> 00:26:13.519 And neither am I. 00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:15.660 We're not perfect either. 00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:24.980 And it's actually, I have found, being a part of the church for a few years now, I've found that it's actually in the imperfections of the church. 00:26:25.879 --> 00:26:31.039 It's through all of the imperfections of the church where we really experience growth and grace. 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:33.379 You know, it's in the conflict. 00:26:33.659 --> 00:26:35.200 It's in working through the hard stuff. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:37.759 It's in dealing with the disappointments and the disagreements. 00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:44.200 It's often in those times of imperfection when we most grow in grace and maturity. 00:26:45.399 --> 00:26:45.879 Right? 00:26:45.940 --> 00:26:52.740 That's where we see that, the words of the Apostle Paul playing out, that God's power is made perfect in and through weakness. 00:26:52.740 --> 00:26:59.099 But when we talk about involvement in a local church, that doesn't just mean attending. 00:26:59.359 --> 00:26:59.440 Right? 00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:00.180 That's part of it. 00:27:00.279 --> 00:27:00.380 Right? 00:27:00.539 --> 00:27:04.359 Here, what we're doing now when we come to this table, this is the absolute center of our spiritual life. 00:27:06.039 --> 00:27:08.200 Everything we're doing this morning is leading to this table. 00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:10.160 This is why we're here, to receive Christ. 00:27:11.240 --> 00:27:12.620 But it doesn't just mean attending. 00:27:12.740 --> 00:27:13.859 It means joining a small group. 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:22.420 It means having people outside of Sunday who know you well enough that if you need something, you need support, if you go to the hospital, if you need prayer, if you're struggling in your marriage, 00:27:22.740 --> 00:27:29.220 those are the people that you can call who will step in and care for you in that immediate first responder level that we all need. 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:32.940 It means finding ways to serve and contribute. 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:44.000 I mean, as I was saying just before the sermon, just seeing all of the people up here using all of their gifts and all of their willingness to show up and to put in the work to make church happen on Sundays. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:44.799 It's amazing. 00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:47.160 It's this beautiful symphony that we get to see. 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:49.240 So it means finding ways to serve and contribute. 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:52.339 Now, we're probably going to have a hard time getting readers after today. 00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:56.660 But I would strongly encourage you to consider how do you get involved. 00:27:57.700 --> 00:28:01.120 It means giving to support the ministries of the church. 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:06.700 It means membership where you become a stakeholder in the community. 00:28:06.819 --> 00:28:08.059 It means all of those things. 00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:11.720 So let's pull all of this together. 00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:21.900 Here are some practices that I would suggest this chapter offers us that lead to flourishing for God's people. 00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:24.000 And have done so throughout history. 00:28:24.100 --> 00:28:25.480 Number one, have a public faith. 00:28:26.420 --> 00:28:29.920 Let people know what you believe in your life. 00:28:31.280 --> 00:28:34.140 Put God first in your marriage. 00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:39.300 And even if you're in an interfaith marriage, you can still choose to put God first in that marriage. 00:28:39.299 --> 00:28:47.480 Internalize the values of the Sabbath, as we've just discussed, and then prioritize involvement in a local church. 00:28:47.859 --> 00:28:51.740 If you're young and you're trying to figure out what kind of life you want to have, 00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:58.400 or if you're older and maybe you've been spiritually stagnating and you're trying to figure out how to reset, 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:02.299 consider writing out some resolutions. 00:29:03.700 --> 00:29:09.279 Take your journal or whatever you would write that kind of thing out and take this as grist for the mill 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:15.200 and prayerfully write out a kind of mission statement or a series of resolutions for your life. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:18.240 And consider signing your name to it. 00:29:18.460 --> 00:29:21.380 You know, there's a real power in actually writing something out and saying, 00:29:21.539 --> 00:29:25.539 I, so and so, commit to upholding these things in my life. 00:29:26.340 --> 00:29:29.960 Because even if you fail to do it, even if you neglect it for a while, 00:29:30.140 --> 00:29:34.120 it's there in writing, there to remind you, you can always start back, right? 00:29:34.119 --> 00:29:42.219 For those of us who have families with kids, consider writing out a family mission statement. 00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:49.379 Take these principles and apply them to creating a vision for your common life. 00:29:49.459 --> 00:29:53.119 If your kids are old enough, get them around the table and talk this through with them. 00:29:53.479 --> 00:29:55.159 What kind of life do we want to have as a family? 00:29:55.259 --> 00:29:56.079 What are our priorities? 00:29:56.339 --> 00:29:57.019 How do we budget? 00:29:57.179 --> 00:29:58.079 How do we want to spend time? 00:29:58.259 --> 00:29:59.719 How do we want to observe Sabbath? 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:00.839 What do we want to do on the weekends? 00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:03.000 How do we prioritize relationships, right? 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:06.940 How can we get involved in some of these things as a family? 00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:08.099 How do we do life together? 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:15.559 And all of this, all of this is obviously centered on the truth and the reality of Jesus Christ. 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:23.220 Because what else does it mean to flourish if we don't understand that Jesus is at the very center of all that we do? 00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:29.660 And flourishing really means participating and living life within the life of God, which is why Jesus came. 00:30:30.059 --> 00:30:30.519 Let's pray. 00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:33.759 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:37.900 And as always, Lord, these are things that we can't do on our own. 00:30:38.460 --> 00:30:50.099 So as we, in a little while, go to our knees in prayer, and as we come around your table, Lord, we pray that you would be doing in us spiritually what only you can do. 00:30:50.099 --> 00:30:56.879 Lord, that you would take what is true from your word, and you would push these things deeply into our hearts, Lord. 00:30:57.259 --> 00:31:03.919 And we pray that we would be people, that we would be a community that puts your heart on display for the city to see, Lord. 00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:08.839 And we pray that our flourishing would be to that end, that your name would be glorified above all others. 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:10.699 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:11.179 Amen.